Honors College to help win national fellowships

(Feb. 12, 2008)--The UTSA Honors College announces the appointment of Ben Olguin as assistant director for national fellowships and scholarships. An associate professor of English, classics and philosophy, Olguin began his new Honors College duties last month.

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In the newly created position, Olguin will identify appropriate UTSA candidates for prestigious national scholarship and fellowship competitions. He will work with qualified students to inform them of scholarship requirements and assist with the application process and in writing strong, competitive applications.

The prestigious awards include the Goldwater Scholarship, the Jack Kent Cooke Scholarship, the Truman Scholarship, the Rhodes Scholarship, the Marshall Scholarship, the National Science Foundation Graduate Fellowship, the Paul and Daisy Soros Fellowship and the Ford Foundation Diversity Fellowship, among others.

The goal in creating the position was to make UTSA students more competitive for national scholarships and fellowships and ultimately to have more UTSA students win the awards. The new position supports UTSA's core value of an emphasis on excellence. Additionally, winning prestigious scholarships and fellowships enhances the reputation of the institution and can be useful in recruiting top students and fundraising.

From the perspective of students who compete for such awards -- whether they win or not -- participating in competitions enhances the educational experience, helps them develop writing and interviewing skills, and clarifies their educational and career goals. In the process, students often aim higher than they originally planned.

Undergraduate students interested in these scholarships or fellowships can schedule an appointment with Ben Olguin by calling (210) 458-4106 or visiting the Honors College in John Peace Library Building Room 4.02.10 on the 1604 Campus.

Freshmen and sophomores are particularly encouraged to schedule an appointment in order to begin planning early for success at the national level.